A s0-called new Politico/George Washington University Battleground Tracking Poll was RELEASED late yesterday and has gained widespread media notice this morning. It purports to show Mitt Romney leading Barack Obama nationally by two percentage points (which is not really a lead at all, considering the poll’s margin of error).

But there is one glaring problem (and another minor problem) with the Politico poll: Most of the poll was conducted before last Tuesday night’s Obama-Romney debate. Granted, the tight race suggested by the results of the Politico survey also is reflected in lots of other polls. Still, any poll that’s released nearly six days after the debate — but doesn’t include numbers gleaned in the aftermath of that debate — should not be taken too seriously.

The other little problem with the Politico poll has to do with its numbers. As noted above, the topline, as reported by Politico, is that Romney leads by two points (49-47) . But when you look at the RAW FIGURES, you find that Romney’s lead is only one point (49-48).

Sure, one point is pretty much negligible, especially in a poll that’s stale to begin with. But you would think that Politico could at least get its own numbers right.

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NOTE: This post likely will be updated as the day goes on. So check back from time to time.